Rotary engine.



IE. 0. ALLEN & F. J. MUELLER.

ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24. 19M.

. Patented, Apr..13,1915.

41 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E. 1c. ALLEN E F. L.v MUELLER.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24, 1914.

Pafiented Apr. 13, 1915.

4 SEBETS8HBET 2.

' WlTNEEaSE5= E. C. 'ALLEN & F. J. MUELLER.

ROTARY ENGINE. APPUCATION FILED FEB. 24, I914.

*1 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

' Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

.E, C. ALLEN &-F. J. MUELLER.

ROTARY ENGINE.

I APPLICATION FILED FEB- 24; I914- mmfifl, mm Patented Apr.13, L915.

4 sums-$111221 4.

wrmasshis ":LVELNTOFES Ul ll'fE nine.

ERNEST C. ALLEN AND FELIX J. MUELLER, OF WEST ALLIS, WISCONSIN.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

Application filed February 24, 1914. Serial No. 820,690.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ERNEST O. ALLEN and FELIX J. MUELLER, citizens ofthe United States, residing at West Allis, in

the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisv-rhich is readily assembled andtaken apart;

third, an engine of the above character which is of a compoundtype, andsuitable for both condensing and non-condensing operations; fourth, arotary engine in which a combination of specially constructed valves ofthe rotary type are employed to affect the admission, the cut-off of thepressure fluid to the high pressure chambers and thence to the lowpressure chambers, and the regulation of the exhaust port open- With theforegoing and other objects in view which will appear as the descriptionproceeds, the inventionrcsides in the combination and arrangement ofparts and in the details of construction hereinafter described andclaimed,'it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment ofthe invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what isclaimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

F or full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawings in which:-

figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view 't trough. the completeengine, said section bBlIlg taken upon line MM as shown in- Fig. lookingin the direction of the arrows. Fig. 2 is a section taken online AA ofFig. 1 illustrating the positions of the high and low pressure abuttingvalves with re spect to the rotating pistons-at the'beginning of astroke. Fig. 3 is a front elevation showing the inlet pipe connections.Fig. 4 is a rear elevation thereof disclosing exhaust pipe connectionsand reversing gear.

Fig. 5 is a detail section on line B-B Fig. 1 showing the meansofcontrolling the abutting valves. Fig. 6 is a detail section on line CUFig. 2 showing the construction of the high pressure abutting valves.Fig. 7 is an end View of a low pressure abutting valve looking on theinlet side. Fig. 8 is a detail section on line DD Fig. 2 showing theconstruction of the low pressure abutting valves. Fig. 9 is aperspective view of a rotary admission and cut-off valve. Fig. 10 is adetail sectional view of the form of packing interposed between themoving and stationary parts. Fig. 11 is a detail View showing one of therotary pistons with packing strips in place.

In these drawings like characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in each figure.

The preferred form of construction as illustrated in the drawingscomprises a stationary cylindrical casing or stator consisting of endmembers 1 and 2 which are formed at the under sides with bases wherebythe engine may be mounted upon and secured to a suitable support.Arranged between these members is an intermediate partition3, saidmembers and partition being rigidly secured together at intervals bymeans of bolts 4. v A shaft 5 is mounted in bearings 6 and 6, which aresupported by the pedestals 7 and 7. Said pedestals being rigidlyfastened to the above mentioned end members by means of bolts l. At thepoints where the shaft 5 extends through the end members special sealingglands comprising 8, 9, 10, 8, 9 and 10 are employed to confine theleakage pressure fluid within the walls of the stator. In this sealinggland 9 and 9 are rings fixedly disposed with respect to the end members1 and 2.

8 and 8 are rings fixedlydisposed with respect to the shaft 5. Groovesare formed in the adjacent faces of. 8, 9, 8' and 9', forming annularrecesses for receiving the sealing rings 10 and 10. The screws 11 alsodisposed in the end members 1 and 2 provide for longitudinal adjustment.

Mounted upon and rigidly secured to shaft 5 by means of keys is a.plurality of rotors 12 and 'l-id. Said rotors are of a diameter lessthan that of the interior of the stator,

so that annular spaces are formed around mediate partition 3 thusforming a series of j initial and expansion chambers which are By meansof independent of each other. packing rings 16 disposed in annulargrooves between the adjoining faces of the rotors and the stator, theamount of leakage pressure fluid is reduced to a minimum.

Disposed a out the peripheries of the rotors12 and 13 and securely fixedthereto by means of the'bolts 17 is a plurality of pistons 18, 18arranged in pairs, that is,

, each piston having a like one placed diametrically opposite. Thepistons 18 and 18- form a plurality of separate initial pressure; fluidchambers 1 1 and 1 1 in the annular.

space between the rotor 12 and the. stator" and in a like manner thepistons 18 and '18 carried by the rOtOr 13 and which are of the samenumber and in longitudinal alinement with these, fprm a plurality ofexpansion 24. and 24 chambers in the annular space between the rotor 13and the stator. These pistons 18',

18 are also supplied with packing strips as detailed in Fig. 11, forminga snug fit'wlth.

the walls of the pressure fluid chambers. Main initial pressure fluidcontrolling valves 20 and 20, cylindrical in shape, which are to berestricted to a certain oscillatory motion by external means,'notdisclosed in the drawings, but communicating with the same through thestems 21 and 21' which form parts thereof. Said stems extend throughglands 22 and 22 disposed in the walls of special inlet pipeconnections, preventing .any leakage of pressure fluid to the atmos-'phere. The function of these rotary controlling valves is to regulatethe time of port opening and cut-ofi'. Said valves are disposed inrotary abutting valves 25 and 25, these abutting valves, arranged inpairs about the peripheries of the rotor 12, are

located in cylindrical recesses formed in the 'end member 1 and placeddiametrically opposite each other, having the ports of said rotarycontrolling. valves 23 and 23' com municating respectively with theassages which are formed in sai rotary abutting valves. By means of.this combination of ports and passages the pressure fluid is admitted ateither side of the vertical center line of these valves depending uponthe direction of rotation desired. The arrange- I mentof thesecombinations of valves as described permit the pressure fluid to besimultaneously admitted and cut-off at oints diametrically opposite,thus resulting In a high degree balanced conditions about the rotor atall times, it being understood that the area of the port openings ineach set of diametrically placed-valves are of the same size.

After the pressure fluid is admitted to the initial chain are variablecut-offs occur in order to. malntaln regulation of speed under variableloads. These cut-oifs are brought "about by the external meansheretofore mentioned, through communication with the fluid to the pointof cut-off, the remainder of the stroke being completed by the expansiveforce of' the pressure fluid. From these' chambers admission to the lowpressure chambers is brought about. by means of passages 27 28 and 28formed in the low pressure abutting valves 29 and 29', said admissionnecessarily occurring immediately after pistons 18 and 18 pass thepoints 30 and 30'. Said low pressure abutting valves which are locatedin cylindrical recesses formed in end member 2 and intermediate member3, are placed about the periphery of rotor 13 diametrically oppositeeach other and in longitudinal alinement with their correspondinginitial pressure inlet valves and rotary abutting valves. The manner inwhich the rotary abutting valves 25, 25", 29 and 29 are .en-

'gaged and held together at their adjacent in special exhaust connection35. The rotary abutting valves are provided on their under sides withshock absorbing springs 33 which tend to reduce the jar upon them causedby the rotating pistons.

The pressure fluid after being thoroughly expended in the low pressureexpansion chambers 15 and 15, passes through suitable openings 34 and 31' provided in end memher 2, then into the special exhaust connection 35and 35'. -As can be seen from the different views provision for amplearea of exhaust openings are made by means of the specially constructedlow pressure abutting valves.

Means is provided for changing the direction of rotation of the engine.The reversing of the engine is brought about by means of a reversinglever 36. This lever is s curely fastened to the valve stem 37 and by"engaging the end of this stem with slots 38 and 38, suitably formed inthe end of the low pressure abuttin valve, then turning said valve bymeans 0 lever 36 bringing the opposite faces of the abutting valves intoplay as abutments and thereby transferring the pressure fluid inlet tothe opposite side of the vertical, center line of the valvecombinations. As'before stated the motion of the different abuttingvalves is influenced by the springs 31 and 31 which are received andfastened at one end in specially formed recesses provided for in thespecial exhaust connection 35. The springs 31 and 31' are employed inturn dependin upon the direction of rotation deslred. he influence ofthe springs being transmitted to the rotary abutting Valves through thewing 39 which forms a part of the valve stem 37. It is evident inreversing that the angularity of the rotary abutting valves with respectto their vertical center line must be changed.

Said change necessitates the force which 1nfiuences the motion of saidvalves tobe trans ferred to the opposite side of the vertical centerline of the valves, this change being brought about by withdrawing thevalve stem 37 from its slots provided in the low pressure rotaryabutting valve, then turning lever 36 together with stem 37 through therequired angle to permit engagement with the other slot provided.- Inthis operation the wing 39 is brought up againSt-thefree end of theopposite acting compression spring thus bringing its influence "intooperation.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is In a compound rotary engine; a casingdivided into high and low pressure rotor receiving compartments andhaving substantially diametrically, oppositely arranged abutmentreceiving chambers disposed adjacent the compartments; high and lowpressure rotors arranged within the high and low pressure compartmentsrespectively; swinging hollow abutments arranged within the abutmentreceiving chambers, each abutment comprising a high pressureabutmentsection discharging into the high pressure compartment and a lowpressure abutmentsection receiving the exhaust from the high pressurecompartment and discharging into the low pressure compartment, eachabutment-section having its opposite ends open and-adapted to bebroughtto covered and uncovered positions whereby the direction of Bymeans of connecting rod 42 linked.

to levers 4:0 and 41 any change in the angularity of either combinationof valves while reversing will be transmitted 'tothe diametricallyoppositely disposed combination of valves. At the same time thismechanism serves to transmit the influence of the springs acting uponthe first combination of valves, to those of the second combinationoppositely disposed. At the points wherethe stems 37 and 37 project fromthe special exhaust connections 35 and 35', suitable packing glands 4:3and 43 are provided.

These glands prevent leakage of the pressure fluid from the exhaustconnections and in condensing operation prevent air from leaking in.

rotation of the rotors may be reversed; mechanical connections betweenthe abutments whereby they may be simultaneously turned in reversing therotors; spring operated means to automatically return the dischargingend of each abutment-section to the operative position when movedtherefrom by the corresponding rotor .during the operation of the rotor;a tubular valve arranged within each high pressure abutment-section tobe turned therein for regulating the passage offiuid pressure throughthe same; and means for simultaneously supplying fluid pressure to thehigh pressure abutment-sections. v

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in the presence of twowitnesses.

ERNEST (J. ALLEN. FELIX J. MUELLER.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH B. BRADY, EUGENE BEAUNSCHWEIGER.

patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing theCommissioner. of I'atents,

Washington, D. 0'.

